Better nutrition for children, courtesy of Walt (Disney)

The Disney Company has pledged to curtail use of its name and its characters (Buzz Lightyear, Lightning McQueen, et al.) on foods that do not meet standards for healthy eating. The new guidelines impose limits on the amount of sugar, calories, and fat in foods that companies may promote with a Disney tie-in.

Food items that would be barred after 2008 are those with calories from fat in excess of 30% of total calories for main and side dishes and in excess of 35% for snacks; a saturated fat content higher than 10% of composition; and those with sugar content higher than 10% of composition in main dishes and 25% in snacks. Restaurants in Disney theme parks are also scheduled for nutrition reform by offering healthy choices such as apple sauce as alternatives to french fries and banning all food that contains trans fats. Press releases heralding Disney's nutritional reforms efforts did not, however, mention junk-food advertising on Disney television networks, which will-presumably-continue to entice children to beg their parents for such products as Pop-Tarts and sugar-laden breakfast cereals.